Optimizing use and performance of optical systems implemented with telecentric on-axis dark field illumination

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are provided for imaging a planar specular object such as a semiconductor wafer. In one embodiment, an imaging system for imaging a defect on a planar specular object includes a telecentric lens having a sufficiently aspherical surface such that the telecentric lens is substantially corrected for an optical aberration. The imaging system also includes a telecentric stop including an aperture therein to block light reflected from the planar specular object while allowing light reflected from the defect to pass through the aperture. The imaging system further includes a lens group having a system stop positioned between the telecentric stop and the lens group. The lens group is substantially corrected for the optical aberration independent of the telecentric lens.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/483,133, filed Jul. 7, 2006, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C.§ 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/697,904, filed Jul. 8,2005, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to imaging optics and associated illuminationsystems. In particular, this disclosure relates to systems and methodsfor improving telecentric on-axis dark field illumination.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

There is a class of semiconductor products that are predominantly planarand specular (flat and shiny). It is frequently necessary or desirableto image these devices in such way that even minor deviations fromplanar and specular are imaged with adequate contrast. One such class ofproducts are semiconductor wafers that may be provided with indicia thatindicate, among other things, wafer number and manufacturer. Theseindicia are defects in the surface of the wafer and are typically amatrix of laser etched pits. These indicia are known in the art as “softmarks.” These marks are imaged to read the codes at various steps alongthe manufacturing process.

After the semiconductor wafers have been singulated (generally cut bysaw and/or laser into individual rectangular devices), it may benecessary or desirable to inspect the edges for small chips and cracksthat may propagate over time and cause premature device failure. Theseinspection processes are automated and use electronic imaging cameras incombination with digital electronic computers that are programmed toperform the necessary inspections, measurements and identifications.

Dark field lighting, in general, is a technique well known to thoseskilled in the art and is particularly useful to inspect defects onspecular objects. The definition of dark field lighting is dependentupon the properties of the illumination source, its position relative toboth the object and the observer, or camera, and on the properties ofthe object being illuminated. In order to meet the definition of darkfield lighting, it is necessary that the majority of the illuminationincident on the object is reflected in a direction or directions that donot enter the optical aperture of the observer or camera. Dark fieldillumination can be compared against bright field illumination where themajority of light is reflected directly into the camera.

Dark field lighting can be achieved by placing a light source such thatit is pointing at the object at an angle to the line between the cameraand the object. This angle is selected to be greater than the angle overwhich the object will diffuse light. If the object has a generallydiffuse reflective nature, then the angle is selected to be larger thanthe half-angle over which the object will distribute incidentillumination by diffuse reflection. If the object is specular (e.g., ifthe object diffuses incident illumination over a small angle, or withvery low efficiency, or both), then the angle may be selected to be verysmall.

It may be desirable to make the illumination source symmetric. In thiscase, the source may be manufactured in an annular shape and placedcoaxial to the optical axis, or a plurality of sources may be arrangedin an annular shape. The diameter of this annulus and its proximity tothe object determine the range of angles over which the illumination isincident upon the object. Such lights are known to those skilled in theart as ring lights and are variously configured to be “high angle” or“low angle.”

In imaging certain objects, it is desirable to highlight very minorfeatures in a surface which is otherwise substantially planar andspecular. These include soft marks and the edges of singulated devices.To achieve this, it is necessary to bring the illumination source asnearly on-axis with the imaging system as possible without causing theillumination source to be directly reflected into the imaging system(e.g., selecting a narrow angle). An effective way to achieve this, ascurrently known, is with the aid of baffles and providing a particularalignment between the illumination source, the object, the baffles, andthe imaging system.

In the design of machine vision systems and wafer identification (ID)systems, a designer (e.g., systems engineer) generally makes a number ofdesign compromises. For example, if a lens aperture is made large, alimiting resolution of the system will generally be higher and thesystem will generally be more efficient. A more efficient system demandsless sensitivity or gain from an image sensor, and the system demandsless light from an illumination system. If the illumination systemdemands less light, less demand is placed on a power supply system andless heat is dissipated. Heat dissipation is generally a major hurdle inachieving a design objective of achieving compact packaging.

Conversely, if the system aperture is made small, the limitingresolution of the system is reduced, some aberrations are reduced, adepth of focus is increased, a very significant demand is made upon theimage sensor for sensitivity and/or gain, and a very significant demandis placed on the illumination system to provide substantially morelight. Demands on the illumination system place demands upon the powersupply system and thereby exacerbate problems of thermal dissipationwithin a compact package.

Heretofore, commercial wafer ID reading systems, including previousgenerations manufactured by Electro Scientific Industries, Inc. ofPortland, Oreg., the assignee of this patent application (e.g.,ScribeView™ Models 1 through 5P) and others within the industry (e.g.,Cognex Corp. of Natick, Mass., and Kowa Co., LTD. of Tokyo, Japan) haveemployed optical systems with a working distance range (depth of focusin object space) of approximately +1 mm or less. Although such systemsare workable, they require a user to make adjustments to the focusposition of the lens and/or an adjustment to the position of the waferID reader to account for even minor changes to the working distance. Theworking distance may change, for example, if the thickness of the objectchanges, or if there is imprecision in the robotic system that presentsthe wafer to the wafer ID reading system.

It would be preferable if the range of working distances for a wafer IDsystem in a fixed configuration spanned more than approximately ±1 mm.If this range could be extended by an order of magnitude, focusing andsetup of the system would be trivial compared to existing systems. Forexample, current systems generally require mounting and focusing of thesystem in a powered-up state in accordance with an iterative procedurein which the image can be electronically monitored and a user may make achange in focus adjustment or position while monitoring anelectronically presented image. The user generally makes adjustmentsuntil a satisfactory image is obtained. If the working distance rangecould be extended to approximately ±10 mm, the wafer could be mountedwhile the wafer ID system is in an unpowered state using a simple rulerto determine an appropriate working distance.

Moreover, with existing systems, process variations that cause a changein working distance of approximately 1 mm generally require userintervention to either adjust the process to re-achieve the previousworking distance or to adjust the focus of the wafer ID system, forexample, by turning a lens-focus barrel or turning a focus-adjustmentscrew. It would be preferable if minor process variations that resultedin changes in the working distance by just a few millimeters could beaccommodated by the wafer ID system with no user intervention.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for imaginga planar specular object such as a semiconductor wafer. In oneembodiment, an imaging system for imaging a defect on a planar specularobject includes a telecentric lens having a sufficiently asphericalsurface such that the telecentric lens is substantially corrected for anoptical aberration. The imaging system also includes a telecentric stopincluding an aperture therein to block light reflected from the planarspecular object while allowing light reflected from the defect to passthrough the aperture. The imaging system also includes a second lensgroup having a system stop positioned between the telecentric stop andthe second lens group, the second lens group being substantiallycorrected for the optical aberration independent of the telecentriclens.

In one embodiment, a telecentric on-axis darkfield (TOAD) lightingdevice includes a first circular array of illumination sources arrangedradially with respect to a center point. The first circular array islocated at a first radius from the center point. The TOAD lightingdevice also includes a second circular array of illumination sourcesarranged tangentially with respect to the center point. The secondcircular array is located at a second radius from the center point. Inone embodiment, the second radius is longer than the first radius.

In one embodiment, a method is provided for aligning a telecentricon-axis darkfield (TOAD) lighting device with a substantially specularsurface. The TOAD lighting device has a plurality of concentricillumination arrays. The method includes adjusting an angle of incidencebetween the TOAD lighting device and an object plane in a firstdirection until an area of intense brightness is substantially removedfrom a first side of an image of the specular surface, and recording theadjusted angle of incidence as a first measurement. The method alsoincludes adjusting the angle of incidence between the TOAD lightingdevice and the object plane in an opposite direction as compared to thefirst direction until the area of intense brightness is substantiallyremoved from a second side of the image of the specular surface, andrecording the readjusted angle of incidence as a second measurement. Themethod further includes determining an aligned angle of incidence forthe first direction as an approximate difference between the firstmeasurement and the second measurement.

In one embodiment, an imaging system for imaging a semiconductor waferincludes means for illuminating the wafer and means for providing animage of the wafer to a sensing means. A working distance is defined bya distance between the wafer and the means for providing the image tothe sensing means. The imaging system further includes means formaintaining focus of the image when the working distance changes over arange of approximately +10 mm.

Additional aspects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdetailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a partially pictorial, partially sectional diagram of anoptical imaging system for imaging a planar object.

FIG. 1B is a plan view of a prior art illumination source usable by theoptical imaging system shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a conventional annular illuminationarray including a plurality of illumination sources 210.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a conventional arrangement of theannular illumination array shown in FIG. 2 concentrically located withthree other annular illumination arrays.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a plurality of concentrically locatedillumination arrays arranged according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process for arranging a highdensity illumination array according to one embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process for aligning telecentricon-axis darkfield (TOAD) lighting arrays according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate photographs of a mirror captured on a readerunit according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Systems and methods are provided for illuminating and forming an imageof a predominantly planar and specular surface such that deviations fromplanarity or specularity of the surface being imaged are reproduced withenhanced contrast. According to one embodiment, an increased workingdistance range is provided to account for variations in the surfacebeing imaged and/or variations in a distance between the surface and anidentification (ID) system.

In addition, or in another embodiment, concentric circular arrays ofillumination sources are arranged for increased illumination withoutincreasing the diameters of the respective arrays. In one embodiment, amethod is provided for aligning concentric illumination arrays with asurface to be imaged so as to reduce the angle of incidence. Inaddition, or in other embodiments, a system includes a front lens and arear lens group that are independently well corrected for perturbationssuch that the magnification of the system can be changed withoutchanging both the front lens and the rear lens group.

The embodiments described herein utilize a telecentric lens toilluminate objects with symmetric coaxial narrow angle dark fieldillumination. This illumination technique is particularly suited tohighlighting minor features or defects on planar specular objects.Specific examples of such objects include silicon wafers. The defectsmay include soft mark symbols on silicon wafers and/or edgeirregularities on chip scale devices.

A light source provides annular cones of light rays toward a telecentriclens. The telecentric lens redirects the light rays toward asubstantially planar and specular object such that the light rays areparallel and normal to the object. A property of the planar specularobject is to reflect light at an angle complementary to the incidentangle. Thus, in this case, the light is reflected normal to the surfaceof the object. Upon reflection, the light rays are referred to herein asimage rays. The image rays are retroreflected from a substantiallyplanar specular object and inversely transformed through the telecentriclens to the point at which they originated.

The system provides a telecentric stop, with a central aperturecoincident with the light source such that substantially no light passesthrough to a camera. However, if there is a defect in the specularsurface, the light will be disturbed and it is probable that someportion of the light will pass through the aperture of the telecentricstop and onto a camera.

Reference is now made to the figures in which like reference numeralsrefer to like elements. For clarity, the first digit of a referencenumeral indicates the figure number in which the corresponding elementis first used. In the following description, numerous specific detailsare provided for a thorough understanding of the embodiments disclosedherein. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that theembodiments can be practiced without one or more of the specificdetails, or with other methods, components, or materials. Further, insome cases, well-known structures, materials, or operations are notshown or described in detail in order to avoid obscuring aspects of theembodiments. Furthermore, the described features, structures, orcharacteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or moreembodiments.

A wafer ID system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,870,949 (hereinafter,“the '949 patent”). Certain embodiments discussed herein modify the '949patent to include additional features that greatly expand (e.g., byapproximately ten times) the working distance range for a fixedconfiguration without necessitating physical or optical adjustments andthat simplify changing the magnification of the system. For purposes ofdiscussion, FIGS. 3 and 5 of the '949 patent are shown and discussed asFIGS. 1A and 1B herein, respectively.

FIG. 1A is a partially pictorial, partially sectional diagram of anoptical imaging system 100 for imaging a planar object 102. The planarobject 102 may comprise, for example, a silicon wafer that is specularin nature. Silicon wafers generally include defects such as a soft marks(not shown). As is known in the art, a soft mark is made up of acollection of laser etched pits and provides information regarding aparticular silicon wafer on which it is etched. Silicon wafers alsogenerally include a plurality of semiconductor devices. While thepresent disclosure is described in terms of inspecting silicon wafersand, in particular, imaging soft marks, it is understood that thepresent disclosure has equal applicability to imaging other planarobjects. For example, when semiconductor devices are singulated, theymay be inspected according to certain embodiments disclosed herein foredge defects.

The optical imaging system 100 shown in FIG. 1A includes a pair of lensgroups referred to herein as a rear group 108 and a telecentric fieldlens 110. One source of appropriate lenses for both rear lens group 108and telecentric field lens 110 is Edmund Optics Inc. of Barrington, N.J.The rear lens group 108 and the telecentric field lens 110 operatetogether to direct to a camera 114 an image 113 of a defect such as asoftmark, as will be described in greater detail below. The camera 114is preferably a digital camera including a charge coupled device (CCD)or a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) type sensor.

The rear lens group 108 is defined by a collection of correctedobjective lenses and includes an entrance pupil 109. The rear lens group108 is preferably low in distortion and has sufficient resolving powerto complement the camera 114. It is understood that the rear lens group108 may be different depending upon what type of camera 114 is used. Asdiscussed below, in one embodiment disclosed herein, the rear lens group108 and the telecentric field lens 110 are each independently wellcorrected for aberrations such that either one can be replaced withoutaffecting the performance of the other.

It is understood that the telecentric field lens 110 operates as atelecentric field lens to render the imaging of the object telecentricalong the plane of the object 102. Put another way, light rays areparallel to one another as they exit the telecentric lens 110 and arepreferably normal to the plane of the object 102. When illuminated by alight source 118, it is understood that the telecentric lens 110 and thelens group 108 operate to form the image 113 at the camera 114. Thetelecentric lens 110 has a number of defining characteristics includingan axis 111 and a telecentric aperture or focal point. As illustrated inFIG. 1A, the focal point of the telecentric field lens 110 is coincidentwith the entrance pupil 109 of the rear lens group 108. The axis 111defines the optical axis for system 100 such that the rear lens 108 andthe camera 114 are similarly positioned along the axis 111.

The light source 118 is positioned to provide narrow angle lighting thatis coaxial with the axis 111 of the telecentric field lens 110. FIG. 1Aillustrates one positioning of the light source 118 physically along theaxis 111. However, as disclosed in the '949 patent, it is understoodthat the light source 118 can be positioned physically remote from theaxis 111 in an optically equivalent manner. For example, FIG. 6 of the'949 patent illustrates a different position of the light source 118that is optically equivalent to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A herein.Optical equivalence is achieved using a partially reflective mirror orbeam splitter (not shown) positioned along the axis 111 of thetelecentric field lens 110. The beam splitter allows the light source118 to be positioned normal to the axis 111 of the telecentric fieldlens 110.

A telecentric stop 116 is positioned between the rear lens group 108 andthe telecentric field lens 110. The telecentric stop 116 is centered onthe axis 111 of the telecentric field lens 110. The telecentric stop 116is preferably placed proximate the entrance pupil 109 of the rear lensgroup 108. The telecentric stop 116 is preferably a physical opticalstop which includes a central aperture 117. The aperture 117 is alsopositioned proximate to the focal point of telecentric lens 110.

FIG. 1B is a plan view of an illumination source 118 usable by theoptical imaging system shown in FIG. 1A. The illumination sourceillustrated in FIG. 1B comprises an annular light source utilizing aplurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) 120 mounted to a printedcircuit board 121. It is understood that in one embodiment the printedcircuit board 121 may function as the telecentric stop 116. The printedcircuit board 121 includes an aperture 121A which is at least as largeas the aperture 117 of telecentric stop 116.

In the event that an iris diaphragm aperture is used together with thetelecentric stop 116, the aperture 121A is at least as large as thelargest aperture setting available. As shown, the LEDs 120 are organizedinto an inner circular group 119A and an outer circular group 119B. Itis understood that the inner group 119A and the outer group 119B provideslightly different narrow angle lighting of the object 102. The innergroup 119A and the outer group 119B may be illuminated simultaneously oralternately, depending upon the qualities of the object 102. It isunderstood that additional circular groups of the LEDs 120 could beprovided.

The sensitivity of the optical imaging system 100 to a type of defect isprincipally determined by the focal ratio between the telecentric lens110 and the diameter of the light source 118. This sensitivity may beadjusted, for example, selecting between the different diameters of theinner group 119A and the outer group 119B of the light source 118.Alternatively, this sensitivity may be adjusted by selectively adjustingthe diameter of the aperture 117 of the telecentric stop 116. Theaperture 117 may be adjustable through the use of an iris diaphragm toprovide an adjustable focal ratio for the system 100.

In operation, the light source 118 causes light rays 128,130 to projecttoward telecentric field lens 110 such that the rays 128, 130 arefocused proximate to the object 102 and are substantially parallel toone another. It is understood that the light rays 128, 130 are projectedas annular cones which become parallel as they pass through thetelecentric lens 110. The light rays 128, 130 are reflected from theobject 102 as image forming rays 122, 124, 126. In the event that thelight rays 128, 130 reflect from a specular portion of the object 102,the image forming rays 122, 126 will strike the telecentric stop 116 andnot enter the rear lens group 108. In particular, the image rays 122,126 are retro-reflected from a substantially planar and specular surfaceto create annular cones of illumination which return to their point oforigin as a mirror image. However, when a portion of the light rays 128,130 is reflected from a defect, the image forming rays 124 pass throughthe aperture 117 in the telecentric stop 116 where they are focused bythe rear lens group 108 and form an image 113 at the camera 114.

The optical imaging system 100 allows the angle between the optical axis111 and the narrow angle dark field lighting to be adjusted so as to bearbitrarily small to the point of becoming bright field lighting, ifdesired. Further, the sensitivity of the system 100 can be adjusted byselecting a different diameter of lighting or by adjusting the aperture117 of the telecentric stop 116. Further, the full field of view of thecamera 114 can be used, and the system 100 provides full circularsymmetry over the entire field of view.

A. Increasing the Depth of Focus

As discussed above, the embodiments disclosed herein expand the workingdistance range for a fixed configuration of the optical imaging system100 without necessitating physical or optical adjustments. In general,the degree of mis-focus of a camera system at the image plane can bedescribed by the equation

${\phi = {\frac{\pi \; A^{2}}{4\; \lambda}\left( {\frac{1}{f} - \frac{1}{s_{o}} - \frac{1}{s_{i}}} \right)}},$

where φ is the defocus, A is the linear dimension of the aperture, λ isthe wavelength of light, f is the focal length of the lens, and s is thedistance from the lens to the object plane (s_(o)) and the image plane(s_(i)) respectively, as indicated by subscript.

Grouping the variables that are fixed for the system into the constantsx and y, simplifies this equation to:

$\phi = {x\; {{A^{2}\left( {y - \frac{1}{s_{o}}} \right)}.}}$

The dominant factor is the size of the aperture and, of course, thedeviation in s_(o). Note that for a system in focus, y=1/s, and φbecomes zero. The above equation relates the aperture and the workingdistance deviation to a defocus in the image plane. This can be relatedto a defocus in the object plane, w, by multiplying by the systemmagnification m squared:

ω=φm².

For a given field of view, the system magnification m is determined bythe size (also known as the format) of the sensor. The smaller thesensor, the smaller the system magnification m, and the smaller thedefocus parameter for a given variation in working distance.

One solution is to select a very small aperture (so that A² is a verysmall number) and a very small imager (so that m² is a very smallnumber), thereby minimizing the product A²m² and minimizing defocus fora given variation in object distance. However, the power efficiency ofthe system relates to the aperture. In a simplified form, the efficiencyT of an optical system in focusing a portion of the radiant energy thatilluminated the object can be related to radiant energy that is incidentupon the imaging sensor at the focal plane to the linear dimension ofthe aperture squared, e.g.,

T≦A².

Thus, arbitrarily reducing A to increase the depth of focus (and hencethe range of working distance) diminishes the efficiency of the opticalsystem to transmit optical power to the point that the image will be toodark to recover useful information therefrom.

FIG. 1A illustrates a working distance 132 between a top surface of theplanar object 102 and a front surface of the telecentric field lens 110.An artisan will recognize from the disclosure herein that the workingdistance 132 may alternatively be defined as a distance between the topsurface of the planar object 102 and, for example, a bottom of anexterior enclosure 134 of the optical imaging system 100. The depth offocus in the object space of the optical imaging system 100 is the rangeof distances that the working distance 132 can vary (e.g., the workingdistance range) such that the image 113 is still in substantial focusfor the camera 114.

A larger working distance range allows for thickness variations in theplanar object 102 or between successive planar objects without the needto refocus the optical imaging system. Further, a larger workingdistance range allows a user to estimate (e.g., by a simple rulermeasurement or by eye) a proper working distance 132 to maintainsubstantial focus.

In one embodiment disclosed herein, the working distance range isapproximately ±10 mm. According to one such embodiment, the imagingsurface of the camera 114 is selected to be relatively small so as todecrease the system magnification m. In one embodiment, the length andwidth of the imaging surface are each selected to be in a range betweenapproximately 2.5 mm and approximately 5.5 mm. In an example embodiment,the imaging surface is approximately 4.51 mm long by approximately 2.88mm wide. By way of comparison, a standard imager (e.g., an imager in theScribeRead 5P imaging system available from Electro ScientificIndustries of Portland, Oreg.) is approximately 6.4 mm long byapproximately 4.8 mm wide.

In addition, the camera 114 is selected so as to have a relatively highsensitivity. Thus, the impact of reducing the system efficiency T isreduced or minimized. Such a sensor that is suitable to use as thecamera 114 is manufactured, for example, by Micron and uses a CMOS ascompared to the more conventional CCD imager. In an example embodiment,the camera 114 includes model MT9V022 from Micron Imaging of Boise, Id.and has a sensitivity of approximately 2.0V/lux-sec at a wavelength ofapproximately 550 nm. Here, V is volts, and lux-sec is an intensity-timeproduct. An artisan will recognize that green light has a wavelength ofapproximately 550 nm, and that the sensitivity may be somewhat less atother visible wavelengths.

To achieve the working distance range of approximately ±10 mm, accordingto one embodiment, the illumination source 118 is configured to providea large quantity of light. The LEDs 120 are selected to provide a veryhigh brightness. In an example embodiment, the LEDs 120 include modelSML-LX0402SIC from Lumex Inc. of Palatin, Ill. and has a brightness ofapproximately 140 mcd (millicandela) at approximately 20 mA. In oneembodiment, the LEDs 120 are lensed to capture and use as much of theenergy as possible. In addition, or in another embodiment, the LEDs 120are pulsed with a very high current to achieve high brightness levels.Techniques for achieving high brightness illumination are describedbelow.

In one embodiment, selecting a small imaging surface for the camera 114,selecting the camera 114 to have a high sensitivity, and selecting veryhigh brightness LEDs 120, as discussed above, provides an optical systemwith a focal ratio of f/12 as compared to the usual f/5.8, and a smallsystem magnification of approximately 0.14×. Note that an f/12 systempasses less than one-quarter of the energy as compared with that of anf/5.8 system, requiring that the balance of the optical imaging system100 to be four times more powerful and/or more efficient.

B. Arranging Lighting Packages

Telecentric on-axis darkfield (TOAD) lighting, being a darkfieldlighting method, is a relatively inefficient lighting method because asmall percentage of light reflecting off the object 102 is captured ascompared to the amount of light transmitted to illuminate the object102. Thus, a large quantity of light is required to be transmitted tothe object 102 to offset the losses inherent in the darkfield lightingmethod.

Size constraints imposed by industry in machine vision applicationssignificantly decrease the amount of room available for darkfieldlighting sources. A small lighting source package, as well as a highdensity arrangement of the light sources, would be beneficial. As shownin FIG. 1B, the TOAD lighting scenario described in the '949 patent usesan array of illumination (inner group 119A, outer group 119B, or both).As the distance from the center of the array to the edge of the arraydecreases, the ability to perceive soft and super-soft wafer marksincreases. Thus, it is advantageous to make this distance as small aspossible. Further, as the distance decreases, the space used by theillumination source 118 decreases significantly.

Providing multiple illumination arrays at multiple center-to-edgedistances is also beneficial, and provides for differing manners ofobject illumination and differing degrees of super-soft, soft, and hardwafer mark detection. For this reason, multiple lighting arrays arehelpful. However, as discussed below, multiple lighting arrays lead topackaging issues. The packaging issues are solved, according to oneembodiment disclosed herein, by using small individual illuminationsources and arranging the illumination sources into arrays in which thedensity of the sources, as well as the density of the arrays, isincreased or maximized.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a conventional annular illuminationarray 200 including a plurality of illumination sources 210 (twelveshown). The illumination sources 210 in this example are rectangular andmay comprise, for example, LEDs. The illumination sources 210 aretangentially arranged in a circular pattern. An artisan will recognizethat the arrangement of the annular illumination array 200 can bechanged by adding or removing illumination sources 210, and byincreasing or decreasing the radius of the annular illumination array200. For example, to decrease the radius of the annular illuminationarray 200, one or more of the illumination elements 210 would beremoved. The remaining illumination elements 210 are rearranged so as tohave substantially equal end-to-end spacing in a circular pattern.Removing the one or more illumination sources 210 to decrease the radiusdecreases the brightness level of the array 200.

The annular illumination array 200 can be concentrically located withother arrays that can be separately turned on and off. For example, FIG.3 is a schematic diagram of a conventional arrangement of the annularillumination array 200 shown in FIG. 2 concentrically located with threeother annular illumination arrays 310, 312, 314. Each of the annularillumination arrays 310, 200, 312, 314 has a different radius and adifferent number of tangentially arranged illumination sources 210. Itmay be desirable, though not required, to maintain brightness levelsbetween the individual arrays 310, 200, 312, 314. Because of R-squaredlosses, the number of illumination sources 210 in each array 310, 200,312, 314 is increased from the previous inner array, when possible. Inthis example, the annular illumination arrays 310, 200, 312, 314 includeseven, twelve, sixteen and twenty illumination sources 210,respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3, under conventional illumination source layouts, eacharray is oriented in a similar manner (e.g., tangentially around acommon center point). However, in one embodiment disclosed herein, theconventional arrangement is improved by increasing the number ofillumination sources in each array. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of aplurality of concentrically located illumination arrays 410, 412, 414,416 arranged according to one embodiment. Each of the illuminationarrays 410, 412, 414, 416 has a plurality of illumination sources 210arranged in a circular pattern around a common center 418.

A comparison between the arrangements shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 reveals asignificant increase in the number of illumination sources 210 used inthe arrays 410, 414, 416. Thus, the arrays 410, 414, 416 provide asignificant increase in the amount of luminescence provided as comparedto the arrays 310, 312, 314, respectively.

The innermost illumination array 410 shown in FIG. 4 includes twelveillumination sources 210 radially arranged in a circular pattern. Aradius from the common center 418 to an approximate center of theillumination sources 210 in the array 410 is approximately equal to aradius of the innermost array 310 shown in FIG. 3. However, theinnermost array 310 shown in FIG. 3 has seven illumination sources 210as compared to the twelve illumination sources 210 in the array 410.

The next innermost array 412 shown in FIG. 4 includes twelveillumination sources 210 tangentially arranged in a circular pattern.The radius and number of illumination sources 210 in the array 412 issubstantially the same as the radius and number of illumination sources210 in the array 200 shown in FIG. 3.

The next innermost array 414 shown in FIG. 4 includes twenty-fourillumination sources 210 radially arranged in a circular pattern. Aradius from the common center 418 to an approximate center of theillumination sources 210 in the array 414 is approximately equal to aradius of the array 312 shown in FIG. 3. However, the array 312 shown inFIG. 3 has sixteen illumination sources 210 as compared to thetwenty-four illumination sources 210 in the array 414.

The outermost array 416 shown in FIG. 4 includes twenty-fourillumination sources 210 arranged in a circular pattern. To achieve adesired separation between the ends of the illumination sources 210 inthe array 416, the illumination sources 210 are offset from a tangentialconfiguration. In another embodiment, to achieve the desired separation,one or more of the illumination sources 210 is removed from the array416 and the remaining illumination sources 210 are arranged in asubstantially tangential configuration. As shown in FIG. 4, a radiusfrom the common center 418 to an approximate center of the illuminationsources 210 in the outermost array 416 is approximately equal to aradius of the outermost array 314 shown in FIG. 3. However, the array314 shown in FIG. 3 has twenty illumination sources 210 as compared tothe twenty-four illumination sources 210 in the array 414.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process 500 for arranging a highdensity illumination array according to one embodiment. The process 500may be used, for example, to layout the arrangement of illuminationarray 410, 412, 414, 416 schematically illustrated in FIG. 4. At a step510, the process 500 includes selecting an arbitrary multiple of fourillumination sources as a total number of illumination sources to beused in an innermost illumination array. An artisan will recognize fromthe disclosure herein that initially selecting a multiple of fourillumination sources may be arbitrary or may be chosen for electricalcircuitry reasons (e.g., to achieve balanced drivers). However, anynumber of illumination sources may be initially selected.

At a step 512, the process 500 includes orienting the selectedillumination sources in a radial manner at a radius equal to the radiusdesired or required for use by optical elements of an optical imagingsystem (e.g., the optical imaging system 100 discussed above withrespect to FIG. 1) plus a longest package size of the illuminationelements (e.g., the length of the illumination sources 210 shown in FIG.4).

At a step 514, the process 500 queries whether the illumination sourcesinterfere with each other. If the physical layout of the illuminationsources is such that they do not touch one another or that they do havea desired spacing, the process 500 passes through a no path 516 to astep 518 where the process 500 increases the multiple of fourillumination sources by one whole integer. The process then returns tothe step 512 followed by step 514. If the illumination sources dointerfere with each other, the process 500 proceeds from the step 514through a yes path 520 to a step 522 where the process 500 querieswhether the previous iteration of the number of illumination sourcesinterfered before the current number of illumination sources interfered.

If the previous iteration also interfered, the process 500 passesthrough a yes path 524 to a step 526 where the multiple of fourillumination sources is decreased by one whole integer. From the step526, the process 500 returns to the step 512. If the previous iterationof the number of illumination sources did not interfere, the process 500passes through a no path 528 to a step 530 where the multiple of fourillumination sources is decreased by one whole integer and the process500 continues on to the next outer illumination array. At this point inthe process 500, the innermost illumination array is complete. Forexample, the innermost illumination array 410 shown in FIG. 4 withradially arranged illumination sources 210 may have been configuredaccording to the process 500 discussed above.

At a step 532, using the same number of illumination sources as theprevious radially oriented illumination array, the process 500 orientsthe illumination sources of a second innermost array tangentially at aradius equal to the radius of the previous array plus 1.5 times thelength of the longest package size of the illumination elements. Anartisan will recognize from the disclosure herein that a differentradius for the second innermost array may be selected in otherembodiments. At this point in the process 500, the second innermostillumination array is complete. For example, the second innermostillumination array 412 shown in FIG. 4 may have been configuredaccording to the process 500 discussed above. Although not shown in FIG.4 or 5, if the illumination sources 210 in the second innermostillumination array 412 interfere with each other, they may be offsetfrom the tangential orientation similar to the orientation of theoutermost array 416.

At a step 534, for a third innermost array, the process 500 increasesthe multiple of four illumination sources to the next whole integer. Ata step 536, the process 500 orients these illumination sources for thethird innermost array in a radial configuration at a radius equal to theprevious array plus 1.5 times the length of the longest package size ofthe illumination elements.

In an example embodiment, the illumination sources are arranged in fourcircular arrays similar to the arrays 410, 412, 414, 416 shown in FIG.4, where a first circular array has a radius of approximately 2.2 mm, asecond circular array has a radius of approximately 3.8 mm, a thirdcircular array has a radius of approximately 5.2 mm, and a fourthcircular array has a radius of approximately 6.6 mm. In such anembodiment, each illumination source (e.g., LED package) isapproximately 1.2 mm long by approximately 0.6 mm wide and is known inthe trade as an 0402 package after the dimensions in inches(0.04″×0.02″).

At a step 538, the process 500 queries whether the illumination sourcesin the third innermost array interfere with each other. If the physicallayout of the illumination sources is such that they do not touch oneanother or that they do have a desired spacing, the process 500 passesthrough a no path 540 to a step 542 where the process 500 increases themultiple of four illumination sources by one whole integer. The processthen returns to the step 536 followed by step 538. If the illuminationsources do interfere with each other, the process 500 proceeds from thestep 538 through a yes path 546 to a step 548 where the process 500queries whether the previous iteration of the number of illuminationsources interfered before the current number of illumination sourcesinterfered.

If the previous iteration also interfered, the process 500 passesthrough a yes path 550 to a step 552 where the multiple of fourillumination sources is decreased by one whole integer. From the step552, the process 500 returns to the step 536. If the previous iterationof the number of illumination sources did not interfere, the process 500passes through a no path 554 to a step 556 where the multiple of fourillumination sources is decreased by one whole integer and the process500 continues on to the next outer illumination array. At this point inthe process 500, the third innermost illumination array is complete. Forexample, the third innermost illumination array 414 shown in FIG. 4 withradially arranged illumination sources 210 may have been configuredaccording to the process 500 discussed above.

At a step 558, using the same number of illumination sources as theprevious radially oriented illumination array, the process 500 orientsthe illumination sources of a fourth innermost array tangentially at aradius equal to the radius of the previous array plus 1.5 times thelength of the longest package size of the illumination elements. At thispoint in the process 500, the fourth innermost illumination array iscomplete. For example, the fourth innermost illumination array 416 shownin FIG. 4 may have been configured according to the process 500discussed above. As discussed above, if the illumination sources 210 inthe fourth innermost illumination array 416 interfere with each other,they may be offset from the tangential orientation, as shown in FIG. 4.

An artisan will recognize from the disclosure herein that the process500 may continue in like manner, alternating between radially orientedillumination arrays and tangentially oriented illumination arrays (oroffset from tangential to provide desired spacing), to create any numberof illumination arrays. Further, the order may be reversed such that theinnermost array has a tangential arrangement of illumination sources,the second innermost array has a radial arrangement of illuminationsources, and so forth. In addition, the radius of each array may beselected to be any desired length.

C. Aligning TOAD Lighting Arrays

Telecentric on-axis darkfield (TOAD) lighting, being a darkfieldlighting method, relies on the angle of incidence between theillumination source and the object being illuminated. As the darkfieldangle from the optical axis becomes smaller, and softer marks can beperceived, the sensitivity to perturbations in alignment increases. Thealignment requirements for wafer ID systems that use very narrow angledarkfield lighting, such as TOAD lighting, therefore become increasinglymore critical. A relatively simple and convenient method for alignmentaccording to one embodiment is described below.

Because of the layout and design of the optical imaging system 100 shownin FIG. 1A (also referred to herein as the reader unit 100), aligningthe reader unit 100 to one or more TOAD lighting arrays willconsequently align the reader unit 100 to all of the arrays as aconsequence of their concentricity. The TOAD lighting arrays include,for example, the illumination arrays 410, 412, 414, 416 shown in FIG. 4.However, other TOAD lighting array arrangements, such as those shown inFIGS. 1B and 2-3, may also be used. An alignment method according to oneembodiment includes aligning an innermost array because it will show anymisalignment characteristics at smaller misalignment angles than wouldthe other arrays. Thus, aligning the innermost array guarantees thealignment of the optics path in relation to the other TOAD lightingarrays.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process 600 for aligning TOADlighting arrays according to one embodiment. At a step 610, the process600 includes configuring a reader unit to use an innermost TOAD lightingarray. For example, the optical imaging system 100 may be configured touse the illumination array 410 shown in FIG. 4. At a step 620, theprocess 600 includes aligning the reader unit optical axis as close toperpendicular to the object plane as possible. At a step 622, a mirroror similar highly reflective object is placed on the object plane, andan image capture process is commenced.

At a step 624, the process 600 includes characterizing angular offset byanalyzing the image captured on the reader unit as installed. A grossangular offset is represented by non-uniform areas of intense brightnessin the image. Minor angular offsets are represented by areas of ghostedbrightness in the image. For example, FIGS. 7A and 7B illustratephotographs of the mirror captured on the reader unit according to oneembodiment. The images include areas brightness 710 (e.g., one large andtwo small areas of intense brightness surrounded by areas of ghostedbrightness).

At a step 626, the process 600 includes adjusting the angle of incidencebetween the reader unit and the object plane in the x-direction (e.g.,left/right in image space) until the areas of brightness 710 are nolonger apparent in the image. The apparent angular setting is then notedas setting x1. For example, the angle of incidence is adjusted in thedirection of an arrow 712 shown in a first image 714 in FIG. 7A. As soonas the areas of brightness 710 move off to the left of the first image714 and disappear, x1 is recorded.

At a step 628, the process includes adjusting the angle of incidencebetween the reader unit and the object plane in the opposite directioncompared to that of the previous step until the areas of brightness 710completely traverse the image space and are no longer apparent in theimage opposite to where they disappeared in the previous step. Theapparent angular setting is then noted as setting x2. For example, theangle of incidence is adjusted in the direction of an arrow 716 shown ina second image 718 in FIG. 7A. As soon as the areas of brightness 710move off to the right of the second image 718 and disappear, x2 isrecorded.

At a step 630, the process 600 includes calculating x3 as an angularsetting approximately half way between setting x1 and setting x2. Thereader unit is then positioned such that the angle of incidence betweenthe reader unit and the object plane is at setting x3. For example, athird image 720 shown in FIG. 7A illustrates that when the angle ofincidence is set at the setting x3, the areas of brightness 710 are notimaged and the TOAD lighting arrays are aligned for the x-direction.

At a step 632, the process 600 includes adjusting the angle of incidencebetween the reader unit and the object plane in the y-direction (e.g.,up/down in image space) until the areas of brightness 710 are no longerapparent in the image. The apparent angular setting is then noted assetting y1. For example, the angle of incidence is adjusted in thedirection of an arrow 722 shown in a fourth image 724 in FIG. 7B. Assoon as the areas of brightness 710 move off to the top of the fourthimage 724 and disappear, y1 is recorded.

At a step 634, the process includes adjusting the angle of incidencebetween the reader unit and the object plane in the opposite directioncompared to the previous step until the areas of brightness 710completely traverse the image space and are no longer apparent in theimage opposite to where they disappeared in the previous step. Theapparent angular setting is then noted as setting y2. For example, theangle of incidence is adjusted in the direction of an arrow 726 shown ina fifth image 728 in FIG. 7B. As soon as the areas of brightness 710move off to the bottom of the fifth image 728 and disappear, y2 isrecorded.

At a step 636, the process 600 includes calculating y3 as an angularsetting approximately half way between setting y1 and setting y2. Thereader unit is then positioned such that the angle of incidence betweenthe reader unit and the object plane is at setting y3. For example, asixth image 730 shown in FIG. 7B illustrates that when the angle ofincidence is set at the setting y3, the areas of brightness 710 are notimaged and the TOAD lighting arrays are aligned for the y-direction.

In one embodiment, the measurements made in the y-direction are madewhile the angle of incidence in the x-direction is set at the settingx3. Then, once the angle of incidence in the y-direction is set at thesetting y3, the measurements made in the x-direction are re-measured anda new value for the setting x3 is determined.

In one embodiment, the mirror used to align the TOAD lighting arrays isspun during an imaging process to evaluate the cosmetic quality of thereader unit. Dirt, dust, coating defects, and other imperfections on thereader unit's lenses and internal mirrors are difficult to distinguishfrom dirt, dust and other imperfections in the external mirror used toalign the TOAD lighting arrays. Spinning the external mirror identifiesdefects that are attributable to the reader unit. For example, when theexternal mirror is spun, the areas of brightness 710 shown in FIGS. 7Aand 7B become low intensity streaks. However, any bright spots due tointernal dirt, dust, coating defects, and other imperfections do notbecome streaks when the external mirror is spun. Thus, the internalimperfections of the reader system can be distinguished from theexternal imperfections of the spinning mirror.

D. Separating Front and Rear Lens Groups

A wafer ID system generally comprises basic blocks including, forexample, a video camera, a lens, and a light source. Such wafer IDsystems may provide some combination of brightfield illumination,darkfield illumination, and narrow-angle darkfield illumination byplacing the light source slightly off-axis from the lens and camera(e.g., typically between approximately 5 degrees and approximately 7degrees) and providing an associated baffle or baffles to prevent adirect view of the light source in reflection by the mirror-like surfaceof the subject wafer.

It is common in these types of systems to provide a selection ofconventional, often “off-the-shelf,” video lenses to provide the systemwith a variety of fields of view. For example, a field of view of about30 mm for reading alpha-numeric serial numbers such as those describedwithin the SEMI M13 specification, and a field of view of about one-halfthat for reading 2DID serial numbers, which are generally much smallerand benefit from the increased magnification that corresponds to asmaller field of view.

As discussed above, the '949 patent teaches the incorporation of thenarrow-angle darkfield light source within the telecentric opticalimaging system 100 shown in FIG. 1A. Thus, the same optical system thatis used to form an image of the serial number to be read is also used toclosely control the geometry of the light. By disposing the light source118 about the telecentric stop 116, the properties of the lenses 108,110 can be used to bring the darkfield illumination to within a rangebetween approximately 1 degree and approximately 2 degrees of theoptical axis 111 while remaining blind to a direct reflection of thelighting elements. Further, the properties of the lenses 108, 110 areused to maintain the uniformity of this relationship across the entirefield of view.

A problem posed with the system disclosed in the '949 patent is that thelenses 108, 110 are much more sophisticated than those used inconventional imaging systems. At least one optical element of the systemis made specifically for a particular system and is not available “offthe shelf” because of the unique requirements of the lenses 108, 110.For example, one unique requirement is that the telecentric field lens110 be a meniscus lens having radii of curvature of both externalsurfaces less than or equal to the distance between the telecentricaperture and the nearest surface of the telecentric field lens 110.

In one embodiment disclosed herein, a specific design method providesthe ability to change the magnification of the optical imaging system100 by changing a relatively small optical subsystem, not the entireoptical system. According to one embodiment, the magnification of thesystem can be varied by exchanging the rear lens group 108 with littleor no impact on the entire system other than the desired change insystem magnification.

By way of comparison with the embodiments disclosed herein, if aconventional design approach is used to design the optical imagingsystem 100, a skilled person would make design choices of various radiiof curvature for each lens element, various glass types for each lenselement, and various thicknesses and spacings for each lens element.However, the family of solutions for such a conventional design approachis inseparable. That is, the rear lens group 108 and the fronttelecentric field lens 110 must be treated as a single unit if anacceptable limit of optical performance is to be achieved. Followingthis design approach, if one is to offer a similar system with adifferent magnification, then the rear lens group 108 of the secondsystem would be designed to complement the telecentric field lens 110 ofthe first system at the very least. Alternatively, one could redesignthe entire system to achieve the new field of view. This alternativeapproach might be necessary if the second field of view is greater thanthat of the first field of view.

In one embodiment, a method to minimize cost, parts count, anddevelopment time includes designing the optical imaging system 100 for alarger field of view (e.g., lower magnification) first. This ensuresthat the telecentric field lens 110 is sufficiently large for anysubsequent systems. Then, the design is made separable by deviating fromconventional design and production methods that use generally sphericalcurves and conic sections to one that uses an aspheric curve of theform:

$Z = {\frac{{CY}^{2}}{1 + \sqrt{1 - {\left( {1 + K} \right)C^{2}Y^{2}}}} + {A_{1}Y^{2}} + {A_{3}Y^{3}} + {AY}^{4} + {A_{5}Y^{5}} + {A_{6}Y^{6}} + \ldots + {A_{n}{Y_{n}.}}}$

The first part of the above equation is a standard description of aspherical or conic section lens surface. Z is the displacement along theoptical axis of a particular curve, known in the art as “sag.” Y is aradial distance from the optical axis. C is the curvature (reciprocal ofthe radius of curvature) and K is the conic constant. K<−1 forhyperbolas, K=−1 for parabolas, −1>K<0 for ellipsoids, K=0 for sphericalsurfaces, and K>0 for oblate ellipsoides. The series A_(n) are theaspheric coefficients and modify the sag Z as a function of the radialdistance to the axis to the power n denoted here as Y^(n). If only evenn are used in the coefficients A_(n)Y^(n), as is used in one embodiment,then the resultant curvature and lens using that curve is called an evenasphere. If both the odd and even n are used, then the curve and thelens using that curve is called an odd asphere. A more general case ofthe odd asphere is presented here.

Skilled persons generally avoid such complex curves because they aregenerally expensive to commercially produce. However, it was determinedthat the optical character of a molded polymer lens would be adequatefor a separable design. A molded polymer lens according to oneembodiment provides a low-cost lens with a complex curvature that allowsit to be separated in design from other lenses in the system. With aseparable design implemented using an aspheric curve on the fronttelecentric field lens 110, the telecentric field lens 110 can besufficiently well corrected and considered in isolation from the rest ofthe system.

Independently correcting the telecentric field lens 110 permits theselection of the rear lens group 108 such that it is independently wellcorrected. In one embodiment the rear lens group 108 includes commercialobjective lenses that meet the requirements of having the appropriatefocal length to achieve the desired system magnification, an imagecircle of adequate size to cover the selected camera sensor, and beingof a design compatible with having the system stop defined between therear group and the front lens.

An example of such a lens for the rear lens group 108 is one that istelecentric in the rear and has its system stop at the front of thelens. Such lenses are sometimes called pinhole lenses because the frontaperture can be aligned with a pinhole for covert surveillance. Bydesigning the telecentric field lens 110 to be individually wellcorrected using an aspheric first surface and by careful selection ofpinhole rear lenses for the rear lens group 108, a system with multiplemagnifications can be offered whereby the optics comprise a single lowcost plastic element with the aspheric surface for the telecentric fieldlens 110 and a variety of commercial pinhole lenses for the rear lensgroup 108.

It will be obvious to those having skill in the art that many changesmay be made to the details of the above-described embodiments withoutdeparting from the underlying principles of the invention. The scope ofthe present invention should, therefore, be determined only by thefollowing claims.

1. A method for aligning a telecentric on-axis darkfield (TOAD) lighting device with a substantially specular surface, the TOAD lighting device having a plurality of concentric illumination arrays, the method comprising: adjusting an angle of incidence between the TOAD lighting device and an object plane in a first direction until an area of intense brightness is substantially removed from a first side of an image of the specular surface; recording the adjusted angle of incidence as a first measurement; adjusting the angle of incidence between the TOAD lighting device and the object plane in an opposite direction as compared to the first direction until the area of intense brightness is substantially removed from a second side of the image of the specular surface; recording the readjusted angle of incidence as a second measurement; and determining an aligned angle of incidence for the first direction as an approximate difference between the first measurement and the second measurement.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the angle of incidence between the TOAD lighting device and the object plane comprises: selecting an innermost concentric illumination array; and adjusting an angle of incidence between the innermost concentric illumination array and the TOAD lighting device.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: adjusting the angle of incidence between the TOAD lighting device and an object plane in a second direction until the area of intense brightness is substantially removed from a third side of the image of the specular surface; recording the adjusted angle of incidence as a third measurement; adjusting the angle of incidence between the TOAD lighting device and the object plane in an opposite direction as compared to the second direction until the area of intense brightness is substantially removed from a fourth side of the image of the specular surface; recording the readjusted angle of incidence as a fourth measurement; and determining an aligned angle of incidence for the second direction as an approximate difference between the third measurement and the fourth measurement. 